Modular fuel conditioning system

ABSTRACT

A fuel conditioning system for a turbine plant may include an inlet fuel module followed by a turbine fuel module for each turbine, the modules being monitored and controlled by a programmable logic controller. The inlet fuel module may include a metering station, an inlet pressure control station, an inlet scrubber station, and an inlet coalescing filter station. Each turbine fuel module has a turbine pressure control station, a turbine super-heater station, and a turbine coalescing filter station. The fuel conditioning system may also include a trip transient mitigation system and a latent fuel venting system. The programmable logic controller collects data from all of the stations and systems as well as the turbine and then uses self-correcting algorithms to control the stations and systems. The programmable logic controller also stores the data collected and transmits the data to an off-site storage and verification center.

1. RELATED APPLICATION

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication Ser. No. 60/309,413, filed Aug. 1, 2001, entitled “ModularFuel Conditioning System”.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates generally to fuel conditioning systems.More specifically, the present invention relates to fuel conditioningsystems for natural gas fuel powered turbines.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the field of natural gas fuel powered turbines, the manufacturers ofthe turbines put very strict restrictions upon the quality of the fuelthat can be used with their turbines. In some countries the fuel,provided from a pipeline supplying the turbine with fuel, does notcomply with these restrictions. The fuel from the pipeline is typicallyat a higher pressure than that needed by the turbine with a tendency forvariations in pressure. The fuel may also contain various contaminantssuch as moisture, liquid hydrocarbons, particulates and other liquids.The manufacturers have restricted the permissible amounts of variouscontaminants, put limits on other fuel parameters, and put limits on therate of change of those parameters within the allowed range. Theimportance of these restrictions is typically found in the warrantyprovisions for the turbine unit. The manufacturer's warranty for a largenatural gas fuel-powered turbine is typically voided, if fuel is usedthat does not meet the manufacturer's fuel requirements.

As environmental concerns have led turbine manufacturers to maximizetheir turbine designs to increase efficiency, the requirements for thefuel used in these turbines have also increased. In order to produce thesame energy with less pollution, the fuel must be thoroughly conditionedprior to entering the turbine. Impurities should be removed, thepressure of the fuel should be controlled, and the fuel should beheated, to seek to prevent liquids from forming and from entering thecombustion area, or combustor section, of the turbine. Furthermore,there must not be rapid changes of the values of any parameter, evenwithin the acceptable ranges. Therefore, not only should the pressure belimited to a restricted range of values, but the maximum rate of changein pressure should also be limited. The same requirements are true forthe temperature of the natural gas fuel. By doing so, optimum turbineoperation, safety, and emissions performance may be achieved.

Various systems have been proposed to condition the fuel provided from anatural gas pipeline for use in a natural gas fuel powered turbine. Inone system the fuel is filtered and then heated. The heater's output isadjusted based upon the saturation temperature of the fuel gas. Anothersystem proposes a pressure relief system that stores pressure values forcomparison. This system is intended to control rapid changes in pressureby comparing values over a short period of time. This system is designedto prevent pressure surges that may damage a turbine. None of theseprior systems is believed to consistently meet all of the criteria setby turbine manufacturers. These prior systems attempt to deal with onlyone criteria, not the overall conditioning of the fuel.

It would be advantageous to have a system that could monitor and controlall of the important fuel characteristics to properly condition the fuelto meet the demands of each turbine in a set of turbines. It would alsobe advantageous to have a verification system that could assist theoperator in proving that the fuel provided to the turbine was within theparameters specified by the turbine's manufacturer, in order to assist aturbine operator in processing warranty claims.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with the present invention, a modular fuel conditioningsystem includes an inlet fuel module, turbine fuel modules, turbine fuelaccessory modules and a programmable logic controller. The fuelconditioning system is designed to provide fuel from a pipeline to aturbine plant having several individual natural gas powered turbines.

The inlet fuel module treats the fuel as it is received from thepipeline for a set of turbines in the turbine plant. The inlet fuelmodule of the preferred embodiment may include: a metering station;inlet pressure control station; an inlet scrubber station; and an inletfilter station. The metering station is comprised mainly of fuelmonitoring equipment to tell the pipeline operator and the operator ofthe turbine plant how much fuel has been received by the turbine plant.The inlet pressure control station may have pressure monitoringequipment along with regulating valves to reduce the pressure of thenatural gas fuel provided by the pipeline. The inlet scrubber stationmay have a vertical centrifugal scrubber for removing primarily liquidsfrom the fuel. The scrubber may have a waste system with monitors torecord the amount of liquid being removed from the fuel. The inletfilter station may have an inlet coalescing filter that removes aerosolsand particulates from the natural gas fuel provided by the pipeline.

After the fuel has been treated by the inlet fuel module, the fuel isdistributed to the turbine fuel modules. There is a turbine fuel modulefor each turbine. While the system of the present invention may be usedfor each individual turbine, the efficiencies of the modular design arefully realized when the inlet fuel module feeds into two or moreparallel turbine fuel modules, each turbine fuel module feeding into itsown associated turbine. The turbine fuel module may include: a turbinepressure control station; a turbine super-heater station; a turbinecoalescing filter station; and a trip transient mitigation system. Theturbine pressure control station may have fuel pressure monitoringinstruments and pressure regulating equipment to further control thepressure of the fuel. The turbine super-heater station may have fuelmonitoring instruments to determine the dew point of both the moistureand the hydrocarbons in the natural gas fuel. The super-heater stationmay also have a heater to heat the natural gas fuel to a temperature inexcess of the dew points determined. The turbine coalescing filterstation may have a reverse flow coalescing filter and monitoringinstruments that monitor the waste from the coalescing filter. The triptransient system may have a surge vent valve that is activated prior toa turbine trip so that the trip does not create a high pressure systemat another turbine in the turbine plant.

Both the inlet fuel module and the turbine fuel module are thoroughlymonitored and controlled by the programmable logic controller. Theprogrammable logic controller may be connected to all of the monitoringinstruments and all of the control valves in the system, including theturbine itself. The programmable logic controller may useself-correcting algorithms to constantly optimize the fuel supply foreach particular turbine. The programmable logic controller allows thefuel conditioning system more control over small changes in the fuelsupply, rather than simply reacting to surges and large changes in thefuel supply. Furthermore, the programmable logic controller may beconnected to both a recording device and a transmitting device. Theseconnections allow all of the data collected about the incoming fuel, thefuel as it is treated, and the fuel as it is delivered to the turbine tobe monitored by the plant operator and simultaneously sent to theturbine manufacturer to verify compliance with warranty terms.

Another feature of the present invention is the latent fuel conditioningsystem. It is common for one of the turbine in a turbine plant to shutdown during non-peak times. When the turbine is not running, the fuel inpipes between the super-heater station and the turbine will tend tocool. This cooling may allow liquids, such as water, to form in the fuelthat would damage the turbine. Therefore, the latent fuel conditioningsystem monitors the temperature of fuel in the pipes and provides arecycle system which allows the latent fuel to be recycled back throughthe fuel piping system from the combustion turbine fuel module inlet,back to the super-heater station and then recycled back to the turbinefuel module as heated fuel. In this design another feature is providedon specific turbine fuel systems, which require compression due to lowpipeline pressure. The invention provides specifically designedcompressor stations and controls which use the heat of compression fromthe compressor to heat the fuel for control of superheat in the fuel gassystem. The described recycle fuel system is also incorporated insystems with compression. The system also provides vents to allow fuelgas pressure to be lowered if the fuel temperature approaches the dewpoint of fuel gas. The venting system allows fuel gas pressure to bedecreased, thereby reducing the dew point of the fuel gas. By ventingthe fuel the pressure is decreased, thereby reducing the dew point, andallowing space for freshly heated fuel to enter the pipes if necessary.In the preferred embodiment the vented fuel is captured and used by theheaters in the super-heater stations as a heating fuel.

The fuel conditioning system of the present invention is believed toprovide complete conditioning of natural gas fuel provided by a pipelinefor use in natural gas fuel powered turbines, while continuouslyreacting to changing conditions in the fuel and in the turbines, andrecording the fuel conditioning to provide verification for warranty andmaintenance purposes.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a schematic flow diagram of a fuel conditioning system inaccordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic flow diagram of the inlet fuel module of the fuelconditioning system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic flow diagram of the turbine fuel module of thefuel conditioning system of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a schematic flow diagram of the turbine fuel accessory moduleof the fuel conditioning system of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic flow diagram of the programmable logic controllerof the fuel conditioning system of FIG. 1;

While the invention will be described in connection with the preferredembodiment, it will be understood that it is not intended to limit theinvention to that embodiment. On the contrary, it is intended to coverall alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be includedwithin the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appendedclaims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, the preferred embodiment of the fuel conditioningsystem 10 of the present invention has a modular design that includes aninlet fuel module 12 for the turbine plant, and a turbine fuel module 14for each conventional turbine 16. The inlet fuel module 12 receivesnatural gas fuel from a conventional pressurized natural gas pipeline 18via a conventional pipeline tap 20 provided by the operator of thepipeline. From the pipeline tap 20, the natural gas fuel 18′ travels, orflows, into the metering station 22 within the inlet fuel module 12, andthe metering station 22 measures the amount of fuel received from thepipeline 18. From the metering station 22, the fuel then flows into theinlet pressure control station 24, which reduces the pressure of thefuel received from the pipeline 20. The fuel is then received by theinlet scrubber station 26, which removes liquids from the fuel. The fuelthat leaves the inlet scrubber station 26 then flows into the inletcoalescing filter station 28, where aerosols and particulates may beremoved. All of the above fuel conditioning steps preferably occur inthe components of the inlet fuel module 12, as will be hereinafterdiscussed in more detail.

Still with reference to FIG. 1, as the fuel 18′ leaves the inlet fuelmodule 12, it travels through a distribution system inlet fuel 30 to aturbine fuel module 14. The distribution system 30 inlet fuel, which maybe comprised of conventional piping, in fluid communication with theinlet fuel module 12, connects at least one, and up to several turbinefuel modules 14 to the inlet fuel module 12. The turbine fuel modules 14are provided so that there is preferably one turbine fuel module 14 foreach turbine 16. This allows the turbine fuel module 14 to be fine tunedto meet the needs of the particular turbine 16 with which it isassociated. FIG. 1, which may be comprised of conventional piping, showsa fuel conditioning system 10 where the inlet fuel module 12 treats fuelfor two turbines 16, whereby the distribution system 30 delivers fuel totwo turbine fuel modules 14. Of course, as many turbines 16 could beutilized as desired for a given turbine plant, and preferably a turbinefuel module is provided for each turbine 16. In the embodimentillustrated the turbine fuel modules 14 are identical in structure,although only one is shown in relative detail. The turbine fuel module14 has a turbine pressure control station 32 to further regulate thepressure of the fuel. The fuel 18′ next enters a turbine super-heaterstation 34 which determines the dew points of moisture and hydrocarbonsin the fuel and then heats the fuel above these dew points. The moistureand hydrocarbons are then evaporated, so that liquids are prevented fromentering the turbine 16. After being heated, the fuel passes through theturbine coalescing filter station 36 to remove any remaining aerosols orparticulates prior to entering the turbine 16. The turbine fuel module14 of the preferred embodiment may also include a trip transient system38 that prevents a turbine 14 being shut down from sending a pressurewave to other turbines 14, thus causing the other turbines 14 to shutdown. The preferred embodiment of the turbine fuel module 14 may alsoinclude a latent fuel venting system 40 that vents fuel that is trappedbetween the turbine super-heater station 34 and the turbine 16, so thatit does not cool and allow liquids to form while the turbine 16 is outof service. Also shown in FIG. 1 is a turbine fuel accessory module 42,as will be hereafter discussed in more detail.

With reference to FIG. 2, the metering station 22 of inlet fuel module12 may include conventional fuel monitoring instruments 50 andconventional fuel metering devices 52, such as a ultrasonic, orifice,and/or turbine type meters. The fuel then passes, or flows, to the inletpressure control station 24 which includes a conventional pressuremonitor 54 and a conventional pressure regulator 56. The preferredembodiment shows a parallel system that provides operational flexibilityand reduces downtime. Thus, at least two sets of components, such asmonitors 50 and 54, metering devices 52 and regulators 56, are providedfor parallel operation, whereby if one set of components suffers afailure or needs to be serviced, the other parallel set of componentsmay function and permit continued operation of the turbine plant. Thegas is piped, as by conventional piping 30′, of distribution system 30,from the inlet pressure control station 24 to the inlet scrubber station26. The inlet scrubber station 26 may include a vertical centrifugalscrubber 58 with a waste monitoring and disposal system 60. The scrubber58, including at least one drain tank (not shown), is designed to removeliquids from the natural gas fuel while the waste monitoring anddisposal system 60 monitors the volume of liquids removed and directsthe removed liquids to a waste storage site 62 for later removal. Thefuel is fed from the inlet scrubber station 26 to the inlet coalescingfilter station 28. The inlet coalescing filter station 28 may have areverse flow coalescing filter 64 and a waste monitoring and disposalsystem 66. The coalescing filter 64 is designed to remove aerosols andparticulates from the fuel. The waste monitoring and disposal system 66monitors the aerosols and particulates removed by the filter 64 and thendirects the removed aerosols and particulates to a waste storage site 62for later removal. Other types of filters, as are known in the art, maybe utilized in filter station 28, if desired.

As shown schematically in FIG. 1, the fuel treated by the inlet fuelmodule 12 is received in the distribution system 30 for distribution tothe one, or more, turbine fuel modules 14. One such turbine fuel module14 is shown in greater detail in FIG. 3. The natural gas fuel isreceived from the distribution system 30 into the turbine pressurecontrol station 32. The turbine pressure control station 32 furtherlimits the pressure of the natural gas fuel while also limiting pressuregradients in the natural gas fuel. The turbine pressure control station32 includes conventional fast response control valves 68 to tailor thepressure to meet the demands of each turbine 16. Again, duplicatecomponents, such as valve 68 operating parallel to each other, areprovided for operational flexibility and to reduce downtime duringrepairs and maintenance.

The fuel from the turbine pressure control station 32 is fed to theturbine super-heat station 34. The turbine super-heat station 34includes conventional monitoring equipment 70 to determine the dew pointof both moisture and hydrocarbons in the fuel. In the preferredembodiment, gas chromatographs and analysis systems are provided toprovide real time analysis of the hydrocarbon dew point and the moisturedew point of the fuel. The super-heat station 34 may also include a gassuper-heater 72 that heats the fuel to a temperature above the measureddew points as the gas 18′ passes through the vessel 73 of super-heater72. The heater of the preferred embodiment has a conventional, naturalgas fuel powered burner 74. The super-heat station 34 may also includeconventional measuring instruments 76 and mixing valves 78 to mix theheated fuel with cooler fuel, as hereinafter discussed in more detail.

Referring to FIG. 3, the fuel from the super-heat station 34 then flowsinto the turbine coalescing filter station 36. The turbine coalescingfilter station 36 may include at least one reverse flow coalescingfilter 80. The preferred embodiment shown in FIG. 3 shows two reverseflow coalescing filters 80 running in parallel to provide operationalflexibility and reduce downtime, so that one filter 80 may be repairedor maintained while the other filter 80 is operating. Each reversecoalescing filter 80 may be paired to a waste monitoring and disposalsystem 82 similar to system 60 previously described. The reversecoalescing filters 80 are designed to remove aerosols and particulatesremaining in the natural gas fuel. Other types of filters, if desired,may be utilized.

As shown in FIG. 1, the turbine fuel module may include a trip transientmitigation system 38. The trip transient mitigation system 38 includes atrip surge vent valve 84, so that when a turbine 16 is brought off linesuddenly, or tripped, the pressure surge from the trip does notpropagate to a nearby turbine 16 causing the nearby turbine 16 to tripas well. The control of the trip transient mitigation system 38 isdiscussed more fully below.

FIG. 1 also shows a latent fuel venting system 40 which may beassociated with the turbine fuel module 14. The latent fuel ventingsystem 40 prevents fuel that is latent in the pipes 46 between theheater 72 and the turbine 16 from cooling to a point at which liquidsform while the turbine 16 is not operational. Such cooling can causeliquids to form that may damage the turbine 16 upon start-up. The latentfuel venting system 40 monitors the temperature of the fuel in pipes 46,and as the fuel approaches a temperature at which liquids may form, avent 48 is activated to vent some fuel from pipes 46. This ventinginstantaneously reduces the pressure of the fuel thereby increasing thedew points of moisture and hydrocarbons in the fuel. If more venting isrequired, freshly heated fuel will then replace the vented fuel to bringthe fuel in the pipes 46 back up to the needed pressure. The vented fuelmay also be routed to the burner 74 through pipes (not shown) to be usedas fuel for burner 74. Additionally, the fuel that is latent in pipes 46may be recycled back to the super-heater 72 of super-heater station 34via suitable pipes to be reheated and re-circulated as heated fuel,thereby preventing the formation of liquids in the fuel. If the pressureof the pipeline 18 is low, the gas may need to be compressed to obtainthe necessary pressure level. The heat of compression from thecompressor, or compressors, used to obtain the desired pressure level,may also be utilized to heat the fuel.

As shown in FIG. 1, once the fuel has passed through the inlet fuelmodule 12 and the turbine fuel module 14, it may pass through theturbine fuel accessory module 42 just prior to entering the turbine 16.The turbine fuel accessory module 42 is provided by the turbinemanufacturer as a part of the turbine package. Its importance to thefuel conditioning system 10 is that the turbine fuel accessory module 42monitors the fuel and may protect the turbine 16 to some degree. Turningto FIG. 4, the fuel accessory module contains analytical instrumentation86 and a speed ratio valve 88 that cuts fuel supply to the turbine 16when the analytical instrumentation 86 detects a fuel condition thatcould damage the turbine.

As shown in FIG. 1, the fuel conditioning system 10 may include aprogrammable logic controller 90, such as an Allen-Bradley brandprogrammable logic controller from Rockwell Automation, Inc. As shown inFIG. 5, the programmable logic controller 90 is connected to all aspectsof the fuel conditioning system 10 to provide integrated monitoring andcontrol of the fuel conditioning system 10. The programmable logiccontroller 90 receives data 92 from the various instruments throughoutthe fuel conditioning system 10. The programmable logic controller 90takes the data 92 received and applies self-correcting algorithms 94 toformulate control commands 96 for the various valves, regulators anddevices throughout the fuel conditioning system 10. The programmablelogic controller 90 receives data 92 from the inlet pressure controlstation 24, the turbine pressure control station 32, the fuel accessorymodule 42 and the turbine 16. Using self correcting algorithms 94 theprogrammable logic controller 90 sends control commands 96 to thepressure regulators 56 in the inlet pressure control station 24 and thefast response control valves 68 in the turbine pressure control station32 to provide fuel at a precise pressure that is tailored to the needsof turbine 16. Also using this data 92, the programmable logiccontroller sends control commands 96 to the pressure regulators 56 andthe fast response control valves 68 to reduce changes in pressurereceived by the fuel accessory module 42 and in turn the turbine 16.

The programmable logic controller 90 is similarly connected to thevarious monitoring instruments 70, 76 that measure the temperature ofthe gas and determine the dew points of moisture and hydrocarbons in thegas. The data 92 collected is analyzed by the programmable logiccontroller 90, using self-correcting algorithms 94 to formulate controlcommands 96 to send to mixing valves 78 in the turbine super-heaterstation 34. The commands 96 determine how much cool gas must be mixedwith the heated gas both to achieve the optimum temperature and toprevent changes in temperature. Quick changes in temperature, evenwithin the operational range of the turbine 16, can increase turbineemissions and reduce turbine efficiency. Typically, the changes will bekept below two degrees Fahrenheit per second, although stricterrequirements would not be unforeseeable.

Another factor that must be controlled is the Modified Wobbe Index, ameasurement of the volumetric energy of the fuel. The turbine 16 musthave fuel, which has control of Modified Wobbe Index (MWI). MWI isdescribed as follows. While gas turbines can operate with gases having avery wide range of heating values, the amount of variation that a singlespecific fuel system can accommodate is much less. Variation in heatingvalue, as it affects gas turbine operation, is expressed in a termidentified as modified Wobbe Index. This term is a measurement ofvolumetric energy and is calculated using the Lower Heating Value (LHV)of the fuel, specific gravity [SG] of the fuel with respect to air atISO conditions, and the fuel temperature.The mathematical definition is as follows:${{Modified}\quad{Wobbe}\quad{Index}} = \frac{LHV}{\left( {{SG}\quad{Gas} \times T} \right){1/2}}$This is equivalent to: lower heating value of the fuel gas in thenumerator, specific gravity of the fuel gas multiplied bytemperature—with the product to the one half power (square root) in thedenominator. Or as stated below.${{Modified}\quad{Wobbe}\quad{Index}} = \frac{LHV}{\frac{\left( {M\quad W\quad{Gas} \times T} \right)}{28.96}{1/2}}$

-   -   Where:LHV=Lower Heating value of the Gas Fuel (Btu/scf)        -   SG gas=Specific Gravity of the Gas Fuel Relative to Air        -   MWgas=Molecular Weight of the Gas Fuel        -   T=Absolute Temperature of the Gas Fuel (Rankine)        -   28.96=Molecular Weight of Dry Air            The allowable MWI tolerance range is established to ensure            that required combustion turbine fuel nozzle pressure ratios            are maintained during all combustion/turbine modes of            operation. If MWI is not controlled the combustion turbine            will not perform as required. When multiple gas fuels are            supplied, and/or if variable fuel temperatures result in a            Modified Wobbe Index that exceeds the limitation, turbine            revisions are required. The programmable logic controller 90            controls MWI by controlling the valves 78 to input heat to            the fuel to trim the MWI to a set point within the tolerance            allowed. Using the data 92 collected, along with the self            correcting algorithm 94, the programmable logic controller            90 sends control commands 96 to the mixing valves 78 to            input heat into the fuel and trim the Modified Wobbe Index            to an allowable range.

As previously discussed, the turbine fuel accessory module 42 willdetect anomalies in the fuel approaching the turbine 16 and activate aspeed ratio valve 88 to shut the fuel supply to the turbine 16. Thistype of shut down, or trip, creates a pressure surge in the fuelconditioning system 10. Very often the surge in pressure can be enoughof an anomaly to cause other turbines 16 on the same fuel conditioningsystem 10 to trip. The programmable logic controller 90 receives data 92from the fuel accessory module 42 and is alerted of a trip prior to thespeed ratio valve 88 closing. This allows the programmable logiccontroller 90 to open the surge vent valve 84 of the trip transientmitigation system 38 and release a small amount of pressure to offsetthe expected surge, thus preventing trips.

As shown in FIG. 5 the programmable logic controller 90 receives data 92from the various monitors in the fuel conditioning system 10 and usesthat data 92 along with self correcting algorithms 94 to send controlcommands 96. Another important feature of the programmable logiccontroller 90 is the ability to record the data 92 received in anon-site data storage device 98, such as a conventional personal computerwhich includes conventional data base software. The programmable logiccontroller 90 may also include a data transmission device 100 totransmit data 92 to an off-site data storage device 102 or verificationcenter 104. The data 92 is in an electronic format so that the datastorage device may include either a magnetic or optical medium, such asa tape drive, hard disc drive, or compact disc drive. The data 92 couldalso be stored on paper or any other suitable medium. The data 92 canalso be transmitted in a variety of manners. The data 92 may betransmitted via telephone lines, coaxial cable, infrared devices,microwave devices, cellular devices, or any other suitable datatransmittal medium. Once transmitted, the data 92 may be stored in anysuitable medium and analyzed as needed.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exactdetails of the construction, operation, exact materials or embodimentshown and described, as obvious modifications and equivalents will beapparent to one skilled in the art. For example, the super-heat station34 may include a plurality of smaller heaters to provide design oroperational flexibility. Accordingly, the invention is therefore to belimited only by the scope of the appended claims.

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 25. A method for conditioning anatural gas fuel provided by a pipeline for use with at least onenatural gas fuel powered turbine, comprising the steps of: metering thefuel received from the pipeline; controlling the pressure of the fuelreceived from the pipeline; removing liquids from the fuel received fromthe pipeline; removing aerosols and particulates from the fuel receivedfrom the pipeline; distributing the fuel that has had liquids, aerosols,or particulates removed therefrom, to at least one turbine fuel modulefor the at least one turbine; controlling the pressure of the fueldistributed to the at least one turbine fuel module; determining the dewpoint of moisture in the fuel and the dew point of hydrocarbons in thefuel distributed to the at least one turbine fuel module; heating thefuel distributed to the at least one turbine fuel module to atemperature greater than the dew point of moisture in the fuel and thedew point of hydrocarbons in the fuel; removing aerosols andparticulates from the fuel distributed to the at least one turbine fuelmodule; and monitoring and controlling the conditioning of the naturalgas fuel with a programmable logic controller.
 26. The method of claim25, wherein the control of the conditioning of the natural gas fuel ismodified with self-correcting algorithms based upon the monitoring ofthe conditioning.
 27. The method of claim 25, including the step ofventing fuel when a trip is imminent to prevent trip transient.
 28. Themethod of claim 25, including the step of recycling fuel to be reheatedto prevent formation of liquids in the fuel.
 29. The method of claim 25,including the step of venting fuel to prevent formation of liquids inthe fuel.
 30. The method of claim 25, including the step of utilizingthe heat of compression from at least one compressor to heat the fuel.31. CANCEL